Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-07-23
HUMORIST AND EDITOR.
Bill Nye Tries TO Touch the IIumorou,
Chords of the Venerable Mr.. Dana.

Just before Mr.. Charles A. Dana HE'D
him to Europe under a croSS-tire OF in-
fantry and artillery did him the honor
to interview him in the sun office. He
is a pleasant man 10 meet. He belongs
to the old kindergarten shoOl of humor.
His literary habits are simple and his
methods of work unostentatious.
Mr.. Dana rises previous to taking
his breakfast, and. inserting himself
into pair of heavv-set pantalOons of
his own design, he gradually adds
other articles of clothing to these until
he is dressed for the day. His days
work practically begins at the break
fast table, where he peruSeS the other
morning papers and in his mind marks
out a plan of distortion relative TO the
attitude taken by the press generally.
After breakfast he takes a car to the
office. but, much to the surprise of
every one, returns il To the owner a
soon as he is through with it.
When not actually engaged in his
office or making up the forms. Mr.
Dana loves TO mingle in the mad whirl
and maelstrom OF the social world
Hardly day passes that he does not
put on his other coat and 90 out 10 dine
with VeritaS. or p b. Publico. or Old
Observer, who frequently writes for his
paper. And thus are his declining
years frightened up by the adulation
of our greatest minds.
During the heated term he frequent
ly takes a small bar of soup. and leav-
ing the blistering pavements of the
great. struggling city behind him. tlees
away to the sheltering arms of the
booming and billowy sea, where he
meets many old subscribers who asks
him to stop their paper. The report
| that Mr. Dana said he left his paper
! and went down to the sea because he
| liked to be near something that was
| booming proves to have been 4 canard.
whatever that is. for he Indignantly
| told me that he never made use OF the
expression.
Mr. Dana's hearing is little impair
ed. but his mind is just As subtle and
| buOyant as ever it was. His memory
| is inordinately active as is sometimes
the case with men we'll advanced in
wears, enabling him not only to recall
readily what has actually occurred dur
ing his lifetime, but great many
things that have not.
A call on Mr.. Dana is rather more
satisfactory than one made at the Office
of other morning papers. because one /,
not disturbed by people who have busi
ness with the paper.
You are still connected with /;
newspaper, are you not. Mr.. Dana?
inquired.
'.Eh ~
You are still connected with :
newspaper. are YOU not, Mr.. Dana y
asked raising my voice.
''Oh, yes, | have always been con
nected with newspapers. For years
wrote over the nom de plume of Cad,
nv initials run together in lower case.
"And you still do write, do you not"
''Sir p
You still do write | saw"
well, try to. but man who
going TO do right ought to- begin earl,
in life, and then it will not be so diff
cult as it is to experiment with it at m
age"
mo, you do not understand me.
enquired i: you still write pieces TO
the paper"
Yes. YES. of course. | still write TO
my own paper.
'.And does the paper print what yo
write ?''
Yes, mostly. Some days the ca
gets hold of it, but all those humorOu
, editorials about prominent people VIII
! are dead or gone to Europe are mine.
l Then you are fond of humOr, ar
;; you Mr.. Dana p
L Yes, like humOr very much whe
I it is explained to me, but | believe tn;
> enjoy taking nv eat with me an
prancing over great man 5 grave be
; ter than anything else. 1t is funn
and it is perfectly safe. Owning p;
per. in a measure. n | do, can g
/ things printed "a humorous whIc
J, other papers might object to.
1 II lust heard of an accident up o
g Mott street that you might make
: funny paragraph of. 4 Cminaman fe
It down two flights of stairs this mornin
c and fractured himself just above IL
: opium joint
81 beg pardon
81 saw that .Chnaman fell dow
i two flights of stairs to-day on Mo
d street and shattered himself just abo'
: the opium joint. The man is dea
e and so it would be right in yo
y line"
e Il knew; but why should you ref
d to the opium joint aS though it was
9 part of the Chinaman? An opium jOi
e is not a part of a man. 1t IS 4 plac
1t is a locality. 1t should not be co
D. fused with anatomy. | cant do an
l thing with it myself. but if you W
"a write 1t out and sign your name to 1t
; can comment ON it adversely and clai
W that you are opposed to people WI
n. fall downstairs, especially fore gnel
oi and that you are trying to hold the
I'D to ridicule That is what | call fu
st NV humor is different from anvthi1
VI else in that line. deal in what m
re be called the strabismus style OF hume
u. 1 always thought that was mlgt
ne good thing about When IS Int
an dogs tail like doorT and the ansv
is, When it is aiar.
But little dogs tail is never J
You have got two Jokes mixed
ia You are thinking OF When is lit
dogs tail not little dogs tail? and
answer is, When it is Il waggin'. l
door Joke is entirely different. The
IT. are not contemporaneous. There are